Incandescent
by Dissidence
Summary: Dr. Genus was the pioneer of cloning technology, and a strong believer in redundancies. Thus, during the destruction of the House of Evolution, the original Mosquito Girl Matsumi makes her escape.
1. Awakening

**Chapter One: Awakening.**

* * *

What am I?

…

Where am I?

The facility was shaking. Red lights were flashing. Eyes opening, slowly.

Light? It had been so long she had last seen it. Or had it not been? When she was in the blissful _abhorrent_ frozen sleep it was hard to tell, deep under the earth with layers and layers of _horribletorturousinsanity-_

She shook her head. It felt heavy, as it always did nowadays.

Where was she? Was everything before-… dreaming? No…

Light. Red and flashing.

Red. Blood. She was so, _so_ thirsty.

Red and flashing; facility was in danger.

God, that light was _blinding._ Natural or artificial-

Artifical. The laboratory, the House of Evolution.

It was only now that she realised there was sound; the alarms were screaming, red and angry and-

She had to get out.

There was no power to her restraints, whatever had occurred resulted in power being diverted to the emergency functions only.

Functions that didn't include containment, thankfully. With gritted teeth, she _pulled._

Metal warped under her strength as the latches snapped open, freeing her arms.

She could see more than just the blazing lights; she could see her containment the clear glass walls that made her feel like a _bug_ under a microscope.

That's what she was now, though. That's what _he_ made her into.

He stole _everything,_ even her name. She had a name… what was it?

It took so long for the cold to wear off, but she could feel that sluggishness now, and had enough awareness to notice it.

Sight always came back first, hearing made a slow return, followed by touch sharply. That's usually when the samples were took, in the brief period she couldn't resist him and his little clones. This time, it came when she rolled off the thin platform that held her middle. She knew from past comments that _framework_ was an apt description to the contraptions keeping her suspended above the metal flooring, as she was laid out like a landscape portrait.

She had liked art once. She was good at it. Was she? Was that a dream? Who was she?

Mosukito groaned, noticing the cold steel her body had fallen to without the support of the restraints. Yet, she was positioned at an odd angle. Her abdomen was still latched.

She gently wiggled her talon tipped toes, all four of them, two to each limb. She brought her dominant left to her rear, and carefully gripped the metal latch before _tearing_ viciously.

It was rent open, freeing her body at last. She nipped her abdomen slightly, drawing a trickle of blood that smelt glorious.

Mosukito tumbled a few times as she eventually righted herself in a standing position on shaking limbs. Her talons clicked against the metal, indenting it while she flexed her equally grouped claws.

She hadn't been released this time.

Yes, the facility, the red blazing and screaming ( _so thirsty_ ) alarms and lights told a different story.

Mosukito-… No, that wasn't her name…

That was the name _he_ gave her, a name gifted by the Devil.

Genus.

And _there_ was the surge of _hungeranger,_ the thrum of _riptearand_ _ **KILL**_ _,_ it always came last.

Slowly but with purpose, she approached the door to her containment.

The muscle memory of how to tear open came back to her in an instant as she embedded her two claws into it, and delighted in the sound of the screaming metal as she pulled in opposite directions.

She hoped Genus would make a similar noise when she opened his back.

She smelt the human before she truly noticed him. He stank of sweat and carbon dioxide.

"N - nē! Yameru! Soko ni modotte, Mosukito Musume!"

Genus clone. He was staring at her in fright from the corner on the room often she only saw for a few moments as she was transported to the combat room. Was he hiding down here?

What was he saying?

Right. Japanese.

"My name…" She started throatily, voice hoarse from disuse, "is not 'Mosquito Girl', _bloodbag_."

"Mat- Matsumi." He answered quickly, voice shaking.

"Ye _eeeees._ " She grinned, voice drawling into a hiss as she salivated.

"Please, don't…"

"What's wrong, number Thirty Six?" She cooed, her _artificallyforceduponher_ eyes finally reading his designation clearly; bug vision made her rather short-sighted now. Her talons clicked on the floor as she approached.

 _One-two, three-four. One-two, three-four._

She had long legs before, but now? It took some time between her strides.

"The Hou-House of Evolution is-is-, it's under attack!" He stammered, misreading her intentions, or perhaps just foolishly hoping, _praying_ that her bloodthirsty state could be directed elsewhere.

But her hunger was Lust incarnate.

"So I see. Is that why I am not been carted, strapped down and thrown against some clones? My my, I do hope you improved the Beast King strand since then. That _weak_ flesh was so fragile when I was tearing it apart before."

Rip.

The clone swallowed, jutting its chin out defiantly. So there was indeed a touch of Genus in the spineless cowards after all.

Tear.

"Carnage Kabuto is dealing with the intruder now, and after he has done he will put you back in your cage, _insect!"_

 _Kill._

Matsumi chuckled darkly.

"He might, or I might be free at last of this godforsaken place. The only thing I am certain of is that if he does, he will _hesitate._ I did leave _quite_ ~ the mark when I tore open his carapace last time."

 _Rip._

Thirty Six still stood defiant. He wouldn't be standing for long.

 _Tear._

"He healed. He doesn't scar, and he will always beat you back, _bug_."

 _ **Kill.**_

"Oh, _dearie._ I meant his fragile ego. He'll heal without a physical reminder, but he'll remember the screaming and the pain and _the terror_ before he-"

"-swatted you."

Matsumi pouted, releasing her pent up breath through her nostrils.

 _RIP._

"Darling. Insect was pushing it. You should've stopped at bug. Now?"

 _TEAR._

Matsumi dipped her head, aligning her proboscis with the clone's chest.

 _ **KILL!**_

"noNO **NO** -"

* * *

Matsumi gently wiped her cheek, coating the splatter of blood on her claw which she slowly licked clean before ripping open the elevator doors to the next floor.

It was good to use her wings again however brief it was in the narrow shaft.

Another clone greeted her, and all she could hear now was the thrumming of his blood under his skin as she salivated again.

She paused to shake her head briefly, trying to rid herself of The Bloodlust. That feeling that made her want to rip and tear and _kill_ _and_ _feed and consume_ ; she had struggled to fight it in the beginning, with waking to the mutation and the constant fighting and sweet smell of sustenance and the cold, cold sleeps.

She had learned over time to rein it in, to prioritise. The mantra never went away; the crescendo was woven through her being, encompassing her genetic code. It could only be sated and ignored. Right now, she just needed to escape.

So instead she let the clone run, his screams of terror creating a discord with the wail of the alarms.

Leisurely she followed behind, still working through the process of remembering how to walk properly in her lanky form.

These lower levels were a labyrinth of walls and rooms and labs, but she kept a close track on Fifty Six as he single-mindedly ran for the elevator to the above floor.

That was the problem with Genus. He was always so obsessed with evolving humans and thinking himself _oh so much better,_ that he forgot that he still thought like one. Confusing layout that probably had some system in his admittedly genius mind meant nothing to her, she wouldn't get lost.

She could track the sweat and terror from the clone running to its (and her own) freedom.

She had sated her thirst, for now. She didn't need to kill this one.

She might, though. It was like killing a part of Genus.

She clicked her tongue reproachfully.

Genus was the one who turned her into a killer; she didn't want to fight anyone.

Kill whatever of his clones she came across? She was considering that, however. They could think, they could rationalise, but they _helped_ him and watched on, never did one of them consider rebelling. With all that brainpower, they never stopped to think they were wrong, or perhaps they just couldn't, having come from his mind.

It would be a mercy then, to kill such slaves to Genus.

They finally reached the wider elevator, probably used for crates and multiple clones as this area perhaps saw more traffic.

The clone was furiously pounding at the button to the next floor, and when he looked up and saw her approaching, piss joined the sweat.

Matsumi wrinkled her nose at the smell, turned away from the thought of drinking from him only to pause briefly in confusion. Where exactly where the sensors? Mutated into her nose, or the proboscis? Maybe the nose was just for assisting in breathing now, a redundant organ. Rather like human ear muscles. An interesting thought.

The elevator doors started sliding to close, but she stopped that with a brief touch of her claws, the sensors causing them to start retracting. The clone backed into the furthest corner, eyes darting wildly.

Stepping in, Matsumi was rather curious to see what he would do.

"Just- just kill me alre- already you stupid bug!" It bellowed with eyes blown wide in terror. "You're useless anyway; the last clone of you got killed-"

"The clones were always dull, stupid things, bloodbag." Matsumi interrupted. "The originals are always _superior_ , no matter your pathetic attempts to produce otherwise. Don't pretend I'm not needed by _Genus_ , not when I'm the one with a name instead of a number, _clone_."

She _hated_ Genus and what he had done to her, but aside from some added tendencies, she wasn't turned into a mindless drone of his. She still had her pride, that useless thing that led her to not even suspecting something was awry, something which got her into this in the first place.

She knew that the originals were better than the clones, whom were never… whole.

Often they were fragmented things, usually driven by very few aspects of the original, or focused on select few of their own traits; revenge, violence and overwhelming ego being the most common. The Beast King clones were always just foaming, fury driven brutes that could be directed by Genus with the promise of violence. The few _pretenders_ they tested against her she tore apart and feasted on.

There is only one Matsumi, and she was not _compliant_ and _subservient_ like Genus' own clones and the creatures with her form.

Mindful of the claws, she carefully bumped the button to the next floor. Thank god this service elevator was made of sturdier stuff that it only left a mild scratch.

"At least I remained an assistant for longer, _girl_." The clone sneered, clearly falling into fight now that flight was no longer an option. Creatures of few aspects, as she said. The best runts like Genus and his clones could do however in combat was to use barbed words, however she liked to think Genus would be a tad smarter. "I at least wasn't an experiment! Don't act better than me when you were _expandable!_ "

Mastumi exhaled.

She wasn't a killer, _before_ the mutation.

She liked to think the careful removal of the clone's limbs as she put his vocal cords to the test were a good warm-up for Genus.

* * *

Matsumi shook the head of the clone still frozen mid-scream from her claw tip, the fragile thing splitting in two before dropping with a meaty thud.

The large combat room was a mess, rubble littered the area, and the building was falling to pieces.

Kabuto's corpse laid in the centre, the top half missing, and the purple colouring signifying he had been in his little 'Carnage Mode'.

That was startling. She had only fought him once when he had done that; he had fallen into it when she ripped open his shell, the single hit sending her embedded into the wall. She had even been in her own Frenzied state, having gorged herself on the blood of seven Beast King clones that day.

The Bloodlust, the thirst that came with her mutation often drove her into the raging Frenzied state upon redirecting the blood to evolve herself.

Plasma, the solution filled with sugar and protein went towards rejuvenating her energy; blood clotting factors combined with latent esper energy running rampant gave her a regenerative factor to be feared.

Platelets prevent blood leakage, small cuts fizzle away and even losing limbs loses her no blood overall.

The more blood or sugar, the longer she can fight for. She literally becomes stronger the more she feeds, which then leads into the dangerous, addictive cycle of her Frenzied state wherein she falls into the haze of the Bloodlust, where only two things matter. Killing and feasting.

She had discovered the hard way that day that she was far better at regenerating than healing; her limbs had been mostly broken and shattered than tore off after being struck and she hadn't been able to resist as they carted her off while scores of Beast Kings flooded the combat room to keep Kabuto's attention away.

Kabuto had been her biggest challenge, the only one she hadn't been able to beat one on one, even when powered, regardless of her admittedly amateur control of the state.

Something had killed him even at optimal strength, and she was rather split about it.

On one hand, it would be impossible to clone him again seeing as he was a one of a kind, so Genus would have to resort to an old favourite technique of waves of Beast King clones to recapture her, which could take quite some time given the level of damage she had seen so far; perhaps the House of Evolution would never recover.

On the other, she wished she had been the one to tear him apart. His blood was rather intoxicating whenever she drank from him, giving a significant power boost to herself.

Human and animal blood was so bland compared to the sweet taste of superpowered blood. It would be like comparing a sandwich to a buffet, a painkiller to a high. It was _soooo_ alluring, and she always preferred either him (in the small period of time she had gotten to taste it) or the Beast King clones for their blood.

She took a moment to rationalise everything, to think.

Something or someone had attacked the House of Evolution and killed Carnage Kabuto.

There was no sight of Armoured Gorilla or any of the others, however. Knowing that ape, he had probably got Genus to safety, as loyal as a dog that one.

Even Genus played favourites with his 'children'.

There were no other corpses, however. Probably laying dead elsewhere, since Kabuto was probably the last resort.

The underground levels were collapsing in themselves, the majority of the clones dead or dying and Genus had disappeared. The House of Evolution was done for and the likely culprit, the Hero Association, would be back to recover what they could.

She needed to leave.

Stepping through the hole made by something else, she paused.

Wind.

She hadn't felt wind on her in so, so long.

Matsumi closed her eyes, savouring the comforting warm carried in the air.

She missed that lingering sweetness of flowers and pollen while under the cold, unforgiving metal layers of the laboratory.

She still didn't know for just how long she'd been kept there, but none of that mattered now.

She had her freedom, at long last.

Freedom to hunt Genus down, take his head from his shoulders, and then…

Matsumi didn't know; she had choice now. Something she hadn't had in such a long time.

She finally had choice but also a new form in an unforgiving world to monsters.

She would persevere.


	2. Burn

**Chapter Two: Burn.**

* * *

 _Needles pierced her skin, fluids were being injected,_ _ **burning**_ _through her veins,_ _ **purging**_ _her humanity, remaking her-_

 _-Thrashing, screaming, shaking against the metal restraints, feeling her body change against her will as her skin pulsated, hardening into an exoskeleton-_

 _-Each attempt to free herself became more panicked, the metal groaned against her form as unnatural strength attempted to force it to yield she could_ _ **see**_ _Genus staring down and she could_ _ **hear**_ _his blood pounding her thirst was unquenchable-_

 ** _BLOODMUSTFEEDMUSTDRINKSOHUNGRYSLAUGHTERRIPTEARKILL!_**

She was still imprisoned, wasn't she? But the latches, she couldn't feel the metal - where was she?!

Matsumi stared at the mouth of the cave for several moments.

A beat of silence later, she realised she was breathing heavily. She glanced to her left.

Her claw was embedded up to her wrist in the stone wall, with several spider-webbing cracks sprouting like roots.

She noticed her shaking form that wouldn't cease even when she attempted to force her body to yield, to calm.

She hadn't dreamt in so long.

She could feel her chest thumping furiously, the noise in her ears akin to a thundering drum roll.

Her heart was reaching the crescendo of its beat, her breath labouring as Matsumi tried to place her surroundings.

Cave.

She wasn't in the House of Evolution; that was destroyed, yes.

Matsumi slowly sat up, gently prying her claw from the wall. It was taking some time for her to realise that she wasn't still dreaming, but her mind was catching up with her eyes; she was safe and free.

No, not free.

Genus still lived, and until she took his head from his shoulders, until he breathed his last, she would _never_ be free. Matsumi would always be remembering, and having these nightmares and waking dreams, always looking over her shoulder.

She would feed, and then she would destroy him.

* * *

Z-City was a coastal city located at the northernmost tip of the super-continent.

With many harbours lining it's business districts to the far left of the city in addition to being positioned to encompass the whole of the eastern coast of 'The Bite' as the inlet of land was named, it was in prime position to be a point of trade from the western to eastern coast of the bay while also having a booming fishing industry of its own.

Said western coast was lined with the ports and beaches of J-City, with K-City having a small portion of The Bite's tip.

Given this made it a shortcut to Z-City's immediate settlements and the major Cities, The Bite saw a lot of travel by massive cargo ships through a rather narrow corridor, usually from the industrious Y-City bordering J.

Genos however didn't think that the subjects of his interest had travelled by boat nor made their way further inland. No, he suspected that the remnants of the House of Evolution had likely cut through K-City to seclude themselves in the sprawling W-City.

W-City was the twin of A-City, both of them being the only central Hub Cities, the former covering the leftmost side of the super-continent while A-City was situated near the true centre to the right.

Genos double checked his Hyper Sensors, dismayed that neither Armoured Gorilla nor Dr. Genus pinged on them.

Logic dictated that given the fact that the House of Evolution was located at the heavily forested and mountainous tip bordering K-City, they should have passed through that way before attempting to disappear where they'd be least likely to be found.

A-City was the headquarters of the Hero Association, naturally meaning its nearest cities would have the knock-on effect of also having an abundance of heroes, meaning it would be far too risky for them to hide there.

Therefore, it stood to reason that W-City, as the hub-

Genos shook his head, abruptly ending that train of thought.

He wasn't yet Master Saitama's disciple, but he had already learned a few important lessons.

Namely, repeating oneself was an annoyance to others and that he should keep his articulation clear and concise. Twenty words or less was optimum.

In other words, he was chasing the Doctor and his ape for information and was going where they'd likely be.

"Nailed it." The cyborg murmured to himself, narrowing his eyes at a rather tall hooded individual as his line of sight was blocked briefly by a bug flying past him.

Nope. Not Armoured Gorilla in incognito.

Damn it. This was going to take most of today.

Well, at least he did have that, given that Master Saitama was apparently dealing with something in F-City.

It was no matter; He needed to get information about cyborgs from Dr. Genus. Given that Armoured Gorilla hadn't had much knowledge and in the heat of the moment with Master Saitama's revelation, he had forgotten to ask the man himself if he had or knew anything about the attack on his town.

While Master Saitama was out running his errand, Genos would run his own; he couldn't go under his tutelage while the potential answer gnawed on his mind.

* * *

Matsumi paused, eyes closed but moving behind their lids as she sat hovering high above the sky of W-City.

She may be practised in fighting, but she had been kept within the walls of the House of Evolution, unable to properly interact with the insects she had been merged with, her namesake.

Right now her little mosquitoes were buzzing to and fro within W-City, and through them she was attempting to locate Genus.

It was a strange Esper signal that gives her dominance over the bugs, the same frequency that allows her to simultaneously _know_ what they know.

She sees with her two eyes, but in her mind she is _everywhere_.

While in the woods and in the midst of recovery via gorging on the blood of available wildlife, _(the taste and the knowledge didn't horrify her, and wasn't that just comforting?)_ she sent one lone mosquito back to the House of Evolution, and what she saw through her spy confirmed her suspicions.

The Hero Association was there, investigating the site, likely doing mop-up and collecting what they could.

Hence the reason why she was so high in the sky rather on the ground; monsters and mutants were beings to be killed and slaughtered, she'd rather not be forced to bisect some pompous muscleheads.

She didn't want to get involved in those tangled webs. Matsumi just wanted her revenge; after that?

Maybe she'd live out her days in the woods back where the House of Evolution had been. Maybe she'll just give in to the Bloodlust, and die at the hands of some hero to boost their score.

Well, she'd probably take a good chunk of them down with her.

Matsumi shut that train of thought down to focus on her little helpers; she didn't want to hurt anyone else, just Genus and his ilk. No need to cause more destruction, to destroy lives like he had.

She'd even consider sparing the ape, if he stayed out of the way.

* * *

The small number of screaming citizens and workers were already fleeing the open street of the warehouse district where she had landed; she could _smell_ Armoured Gorilla hiding inside the depot, his heat much more noticeable being a primate.

Naturally, the mosquito inside had died a quick death, but combined with the anomaly warmth and sudden expiry of her helper, she could put two and two together.

Yes, even now if she focused, she could somewhat sense the formidable power of the cyborg.

Formidable to most, at least. She would tear his metal limbs from his body if he dared to stand in her path.

" **Genus!** " Matsumi bellowed, her voice piercing the fading noise of the terrified residents. "I know you're here! Come out! I will make it QUICK!"

That was a lie, but he needn't know.

Matusmi waited, and it was moments later she received her reply.

The shutter door was punched clean off the front of the stockpile building; Matsumi narrowly dodged it with a quick turn to the side, the metal missing her nose by inches.

Armoured Gorilla stood before her, with what had to be Genus close behind.

Matsumi paused to eye his form as best as she could at the distance.

Cracked, dirty armour with several exposed cables. He was weak.

Matsumi ignored him, opting to focus on Genus.

He stank of _fear,_ and rightfully so, she could wait to _pierce-_

 _-Needles piercing fluids pumpingburning under the skin painPAIN_ _ **PAIN**_ _-_

Matsumi recoiled as if physically struck, trying to regain a measure of control over her breathing.

In, and out.

In, and out.

In… and out.

Her limbs were tense like wire, her exoskeleton dry, thin and stretched. Too much butter spread over bread. The images, the sensations, they were still flashing. Flashing like red lights. These jarring transitions from the moment she was in to reliving the past trauma…

She couldn't keep doing this.

She wanted him dead- no. She _needed_ him dead. She needed to kill him so she could move on and move past and _forget_.

"Are you ready for the freak show to come full circle, Genus?" She murmured, stepping forward slowly, purposely. "Because it's time to face the curtain with a bow."

"Mosquito Girl. The House of Evolution is gone, it's done. It's over." Armoured Gorilla's voice boomed.

The undertone of his plea rang hollow.

"Not over. Not yet." Matsumi replied, not slowing as she addressed Genus, both eyes on him. "Come, Genus. Face your death like a man. Come, and meet your _vicious end!_ "

The fear was gone now, only desperation remained; she lunged.

Her right claw met solid armour, the strike blocked by Gorilla while Genus backpedalled, falling in his haste.

"You deny me?!" Matsumi snarled, retaliating with a vicious uppercut from the left which was again grappled. Metal screeched in protest as she cut deeper into the plating, tensing.

Both eyes were now on the ape.

"It's over!" Gorilla bellowed back in her face. "It's over Mosquito Girl- "

"My name-"She wretched her right arm free before embedding itself in his shoulder plate, "-is **MATSUMI!** "

With a horrifying wail of rent metal, she _pulled._

Gorilla roared his agony as his left arm was ripped from the socket, dragging wires and electronics from within. The nerve sensors and connections were not turned off, nor could they be in his already weakened state.

The clearly temporary arm was still in her claw; taking advantage she gripped it tighter and bludgeoned his helmet-less dome.

Sparks flew as the arm shattered; a burst of static signalling the damage done with visible proof on the right side of Gorilla's forehead which had caved in.

Matsumi knocked his right arm away with her left, and in a lightning fast motion she'd executed a thousand times before, scaled her taller opponent.

A burst of speed courtesy of her wings, talons and claws working in unison to find purchase in Gorilla's form as she ended up on his back, going around his now exposed right side.

All in all, it only took less than two seconds.

Her left talon slashed wildly at his leg, forcing him lower as it sliced wire and tendon in the knee.

"You could have stepped aside!" Matsumi screamed in his ear, tearing into his thickly plated back with rapid swipes, occasionally lashing out with her talon to the back of his thigh to force him down as he attempted to regain his footing. With one arm disabled, he could hardly fight back, let alone think through the onslaught. He bucked wildly like a panicking bull, but she held firm.

This wasn't like the fights for survival in the House, this was raw brutality. She knew she was superior, she needn't rely on lightning fast movements, practised combinations and strikes. She was overpowering him because Matsumi wanted to maim _,_ she wanted him to _suffer_.

"Instead you chose to get in my way, to _dare_ think you could stop-" the left claw pierced metal and pulled back the thick plating on Armoured Gorilla's back with a screech, "-my-" the right quickly gripped the opposing side as she leaned back, kept firm by her talons and wings, "- **vengeance!** "

With a mighty effort, the plates yielded, thrown away like the scraps they now were.

Mastumi saw the slow punch coming with plenty of time to react due to the contortion of the act.

Her left talon forced itself into the back of the ape's mutilated right knee as she extended her leg to its fullest, again bringing him down further while her right lashed out to the back of his head to grip his collar.

The rotation of the move positioned her parallel to him, the angle akin to a hamstring stretch.

Her right claw challenged the punch, claws holding the wrist firm as Matsumi _thrust_ the left into the exposed amalgamation of metal, flesh and wires in his vulnerable back.

Armoured Gorilla _howled_.

With a resounding thump, he collapsed face first into the earth, with Matsumi riding his back.

His left arm was gone; his right was slack in Matsumi's grip.

His legs were covered in lashes. The right having the most severe damage given Matumi's talon was firmly stabbed into the back of his knee.

Like the bug they made her, she wasn't so easy to swat.

Matsumi ripped her arm out from his back, sending a spasm of twitches through her fallen foe's body; bits of debris, wire and muscle alike dropping. Shaking her other claw, she let his arm fall lifelessly to the side. A firm flurry of her wings dislodged her talons as she hovered over Armoured Gorilla's savaged form.

"I was going to let you live." Matsumi sighed, landing in front of him as he put his effort into glaring her down defiantly. Not so easy to do when he could barely lift his chin from the unforgiving concrete.

"I hoped…" she murmured, "I hoped to not need to do this. That I wouldn't be alone. But you're barely a gorilla, are you? You're something else. Freakish. Not meant for this world."

"Speak for yourself." He spat blood and fluid at her, but it came out as more of a dribble.

Pitiful, really.

"But nobody can -nobody _will_ \- fix you." She continued, ignoring him, shoulders loosening as she considered the sky above. "Even if they did, could you be fixed? Truly? You'd be forever remembering, wanting. Even in his death, he'll still haunt you, follow you."

She just felt tired, now. Armoured Gorilla knew he had no chance. She had defeated him in his prime; she'd defeated all but Kabuto, even with the numbers and the sluggishness of the sleep and in the maddened state of Bloodlust.

So _why_ did he even bother? Why did he even hope, or consider he had a chance? Was it out of some misguided loyalty?

Matsumi glanced back down.

She felt hollow seeing him, battered and broken.

Gently, she hooked a claw into his collar, lifting his form to meet her at eye level. Slowly and begrudgingly, his ravaged form rose to her level.

"Know this." She said quietly. "I will take no pleasure from this, but… it needs to happen. You could have lived, but you had to jump to his defence, like a little performing monkey. I feel sorry for you."

Matsumi raised the other claw, lowering it to the back of his neck. With one quick motion, she could terminate him painlessly. Free him. A quick decapitation to part his head and it's connected spinal wiring from his body.

"This is a mercy." She apologised.

Armoured Gorilla snarled, defiant to the end.

She gave a small, sad smile.

She could respect that.

" **STOP!** "

Matsumi released her old comrade, dropping him.

"You…" Matsumi stared at Genus, baffled.

"Please… no more. I… Let him live, let me help him and, and then I'll- I won't resist. I won't run."

A myriad of emotions ran through Matsumi. She settled for seething rage.

" _Oh_ … Now you find your compassion? Your moral compass? You- you **dare** – "

She lunged with her left arm, each hook grazing his neck as she held him firmly in place between the two digits.

She had the power. She could even _twitch_ and rip him asunder. She could smell the dribbles of blood running parallel around his throat. Then why couldn't she, and why could she stop the damn _shaking_?

Genus swallowed, and she felt his throat bob with the movement.

"You made me _suffer_ …" She whispered, raising her claw slightly to force him to make eye contact, the blades forcing his chin upwards. "I _trusted_ you, and you used me, twisted me… It hurt so _much_ , Daisuke." She couldn't help the sob that escaped her.

Genus gave a minute flinch.

"I-… I know."

Matsumi trembled. How, _how_ did she know that name? What was happening to her?! These stray thoughts that she didn't recognise, that her subconscious kept dragging to the surface, the flashes of pain and agony and...

"I'm sorry, Matsumi."

"No." Matsumi bit back, looking away, but not removing her claw. "You– you don't _get_ to be sorry, you don't get- you can't just…" She inhaled.

She glanced back, regretting it instantly.

How could that cold-hearted _sociopath_ of a man actually look apologetic, regretful?

"You killed, you mutated live subjects, you're a **monster** and you don't get to be forgiven!" She shouted, venting her fury. Fresh cuts appeared as she shook, the claw digging in slightly higher on his cheeks.

"I know. I understand. You're right."

Mastumi could almost sob. Why couldn't he just let her have this, why couldn't he just _die?_ Why couldn't she kill him?!

"I just want you to know, that I… I _am_ sorry, for what I've done. Especially to you."

Genus breathed out, and closed his eyes.

Matsumi tested him, tightening her grip.

This was a last ditch attempt to manipulate her. This was his ploy, of course! He'd surely flee or run or plead, or do _something instead of just_ _ **standing**_ _there_ -

Genus' breathing became shallower, coming in a few quicker bursts.

He stood still.

Matsumi withdrew her claw.

He couldn't even give her satisfaction in dying. She wanted to rage, to take revenge, to let him feel a taste of what she went through; she wanted some measure of pleasure, but…

Killing him wouldn't grant her that.

Matsumi breathed deeply.

"You've took everything from me." She muttered bitterly, arms limp. "My life, my body, my own state of mind… and I can't even kill you."

Genus braved opening his eyes.

"Then you're a better person than me, Matsumi. I won't ask for your forgiveness, I don't deserve it nor should I get it. I can only promise that I'll… I'll do better. I won't go back to science." Genus laughed hollowly. "I was thinking of simple living; opening a Takoyaki shop, maybe. To keep me humble."

"No." Matsumi said, eyes skywards again. "There was some… don't let the research go to waste. The Association won't understand it all, and there's more they likely never got. Do better, Genus. Don't let all that suffering go to waste."

"I… yes." Genus exhaled. "What will you do?"

Matsumi continued watching the clouds furl by in the sky. She longed to fly and fly away, to be free.

"I don't know." She said finally. Afraid, again. The adrenaline was fading. "Maybe… maybe I'll live in the forest. Maybe I'll find some hero to fight, one last good fight before dying. I… I just want to rest; sleep. Sleep... sounds good."

She wanted freedom from this masquerade of life, this phantom existence.

She'd been dealt a shit hand and she couldn't bluff any longer.

She wanted to fold, to crumple, to just _stop._

"Please, don't. You know I still have plenty of funds. I'll… you're my responsibility Matsumi. If you go back to City-Z, or wherever you go, I'll be in touch. I'll supply you. Please, let me try and fix this. Maybe, maybe… a cure, or reversal."

Matsumi allowed a small, empty quirk of her lips.

"There's no reversing mutation Genus. We both know that."

The area was still quiet. Heroes would be coming soon.

That burning flame of fury that kept her functioning since her escape was dying now, becoming smouldering embers. Ready to reignite, but the fierce rage was spent for now.

She hated Genus, and she doubted that no matter what the man did, she'd _never_ forgive or forget.

But something had changed. Genus had changed. Had she? She could never remember being awake this long before; what could she do without that hate and boiling blood to keep her going, could she function without running on violence?

She had thought killing him would make it better. She finished his clones, but when it came to him… god, how can she be so stupid? So foolish? She had _trusted_ him, she'd… she'd…

She started walking away, aware that each step she took gouged the dry concrete ground, a reminder of a world she was ill-fit to reside in.

* * *

Genos watched, open mouthed.

That Mosquito Monster was still alive!

How?!

He'd only arrived to see Armoured Gorilla reduced to little more than a scrap heap, then the Monster that nearly got the better of him turned its claw on Genus.

No, he couldn't let it kill him! He needed to know what he knew!

Thankfully, before he was required to burst in and save the doctor (which could have gone horribly wrong now that he considered it: startling the creature while in that position could have potentially decapitated the man) it released him and made to walk away.

This couldn't be possible, though. He had witnessed Master Saitama swat it, leaving nothing but a red stain!

Just how _powerful_ was that thing, to recover from that?!

He would have to keep a close eye and follow it.


End file.
